Almost all motor vehicles manufactured to date feature some type of storage compartment separable or separate from the passenger compartment in which a wide variety of cargo may be carried. In fact, the cargo-carrying capability of modern sport utility vehicles has, in part, accounted for their enormous popularity. Still, station wagon cargo areas and the trunk space of traditional four-door sedans all provide common utility and common problems for the vehicle owner.
One of the principal concerns of motor vehicle operators is the protection of the cargo area from damage caused by liquids or other materials such as mud, dirt, grease and grime which are often associated with the cargo being transported by the vehicle.
Certain prior art devices have been developed for protecting the cargo areas of vehicles from such damage and soil. Currently popular for such applications are flexible plastic or rubber tray-like devices which feature a floor and a perimeter wall. These devices may be placed in the cargo area, and may be designed to conform, in perimeter shape, to the shape of the cargo area. By constructing these cargo liners from durable material, such as rubber or thermoplastic, dirt and spills from cargo may be easily contained, and the light weight and flexible nature of the cargo liners themselves permits them to be easily removed from and reinstalled in the vehicle, as needed.
It has long been recognized, however, that it is desirable to create such cargo liner which is easily foldable or stowable. One solution to this problem is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,831, issued to Foyen, which teaches a window shade-like retraction mechanism for a rollable and flexible cargo liner, which may be affixed to the rear seat of a motor vehicle. Another proposed solution is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,074, issued to Biskup, which teaches a foldable cargo liner. A cargo liner which has upstanding walls capable of providing lateral protection to the interior walls of a motor vehicle is taught by Falciani in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,710. An interesting effort is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,710, issued to Barnard, which features inflatable elements to offer support structure to the cargo liner when in use, yet allow the device to be collapsed when not in use by deflation of the inflatable elements.
Each of these prior art devices are limited by their complexity, bulk, weight, collapsed size and the time required to stow and unstow, making them unsuitable in many applications.